Caught on camera: Louisville family confronts man accused of stealing 89-year-old’s home

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — An 89-year-old Louisville woman says her home and belongings were stolen after police say a man forged her name onto a property deed.

Dorothy Tarpin has owned her house on South 26th Street since the 1960s, it's where she raised her family. But her relatives say a man named Russell Cheatham illegally claimed ownership through a forged quitclaim deed — a document that transfers property with only a few signatures and a notary. It's meant for easy transfers between family members or in the case of a divorce.

Russell Cheatham *(Louisville Metro Department of Corrections)*

“Do y’all know y’all stealing this house from an old lady?” one family member can be heard saying during a confrontation with Cheatham, which they recorded on video.

Tarpin was shocked to learn Medicaid had cut off coverage for her nursing home stay because records showed she made $46,000 from selling her home.

“No I didn’t,” Tarpin said.

When her family investigated, they found Cheatham’s name on the deed.

“Who’s Russell Cheatham?” asked relative Tina Mack.

Tarpin stressed she is very much alive.

“Yes I am alive and well and 89 years old,” she said.

Her family said Cheatham’s signature scheme exploited weak safeguards in property records.

“They were able to do it online. They didn’t have to walk into the building,” said Alpha Johnson.

The Jefferson County Clerk’s Office said it does not verify signatures.

“You bring us that notarized form and the notary is the one who’s supposed to make sure that everything is accurate,” Ashley Tinius, the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office director of communications, said.

When asked if more safeguards are needed, the office responded, “There’s no need for more safeguards. It doesn’t happen as often as some people say it does.”

Clerk officials said deed fraud occurs in Jefferson County about once every three years. They recommend homeowners sign up for ClerkAlerts, a free notification system that warns if their property records change.

The Tarpin family said records now show Dorothy as the property owner again, though the deed remains under Cheatham’s name. He turned himself in to police this week and is charged with identity theft.

But the family said it wasn’t just the home that was stolen — everything inside is gone too.

“I had seven diamond rings in that house,” Tarpin said.

She now has a message for Cheatham.

“He’s going to get what he deserves,” she said.

The family plans to file a civil suit against Cheatham for everything that was taken.

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